Is Joking About Something Sinful Disbelief?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat 

Question

Is it true that if someone makes a joke or laughs about something sinful or something that we should be doing in Islam then this is kufr? Isn’t almost everything in life either a sin or a command from Allah through the Quran or sunnah/Hadith? Therefore I feel like almost everything we laugh about therefore relates to this.

Answer

I pray you are well.

Laughing At a Sin Is Not Kufr

No, joking about sin or laughing about a sinful matter is not disbelief. It is, however, a sin to joke about sins or discuss them in a way in which one derives pleasure from it (Nabulsi, al Hadiqa al Nadiyya). One should work towards removing this from their speech.

I highly recommend the course we have on Imam Birgivi’s al Tariqa al Muhammadiyya (The Muhammadan Way). You will learn about all of these matters in a clear and structured way in this course.

Mocking Islam Can Lead to Disbelief

Mockery of religion is a dangerous matter. It can lead to disbelief as it is a manifestation of a deeper problem. This is a deliberate action and not something that would happen accidentally. It’s best to bear in mind the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), “Whoever is quiet is safe” (Tirmidhi).

May Allah protect us all.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.